


birds take flight (i'm kidding)

by ivyrobinson



Category: Anastasia (1997), Anastasia - Flaherty/Ahrens/McNally
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Gleb is a creepy predator
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2019-10-13 22:58:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17496995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ivyrobinson/pseuds/ivyrobinson
Summary: anastasia romanov returns to school from cheerleading camp to a new school administration, a new principal, and her classmates weird new obsession with rugby and it's star player.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ninaswritings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninaswritings/gifts), [anastasianikolaevnas](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anastasianikolaevnas/gifts), [daddarios](https://archiveofourown.org/users/daddarios/gifts), [takemetofantasyland](https://archiveofourown.org/users/takemetofantasyland/gifts), [wanderinglilly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderinglilly/gifts).



> this came about with a discussion on which sport different portrayals of dmitry and anya would play, so i give you taylor quick's cheerleader anya, and cody simpson's rugby playing dmitry.

“Rugby?” Anastasia repeated the words dumbly, after her best friend, Katya Zborovsky, had said an entire long winded paragraph about the sport. She was pretty sure this was some weird sleep deprived dream she was having after that long flight she had taken. Or maybe she was still on a flight. “Everyone is talking about rugby?” 

“It’s the weirdest thing,” Katya continued, as though this was not the most ludicrous thing in the world. “This new kid transferred here and now it’s all everyone can talk about! Wait until you see him, Nastya, you’ll get it.”

Anya was still having trouble adjusting to the knowledge that their school had a rugby school, so this guy could be David Beckham himself (wrong sport, she knew, but who on earth played rugby to even reference?), so she was questioning her friend’s confidence in Anya’s understanding how rugby went from nonexistent to suddenly being the hottest sport at St. Petersburg Prep. 

Okay, so like, over winter break she had attended a cheerleading camp, and had won the final competition and had attended a conference that had made her come back to school two weeks late. Apparently two weeks was long enough for everything to completely go upside down. 

“He’s dreamy,” Katya fluttered, causing Anya to giggle, and shove her friend on the shoulder. “No offense to your Dad, but I think football’s time is over.”

Her father, who once was the school’s principal, was now the head football coach and athletic director. There was an argument to be made there which one actually wielded more power. Her father acted like it was his choice, but the hushed voices of her parents and oldest sister made her think that it was more the workings of the new school board. 

Shortly after him stepping down as principal, the school had hired on a young “up and comer” to help implement their ideals and education values. Principal Vaganov had started his first school assembly with a “joke” about how the old regime was over, but Anya found it in poor taste when her father still worked there, and four of his children still attended school there.

There were a lot of things about the new principal and “regime” she found to be in poor taste.

“They’ll reclaim their glory next season,” Anya swore, loyally. The past season had...not been good. 

Katya raised an eyebrow at that, “We lost all the good players when Glub and his administration started. And the cute ones.” 

Glub was Katya’s personal nickname for the new principal, it was what helped make her such a good friend. Whenever they saw them in the halls, Katya would turn her back, and face Anya, sucking her checks in, making a fish impression and mouth “glub glub”. It made Anya smirk and roll her eyes but it made Katya laugh hysterically every time. 

The new administration had taken the old, more elitist nature of the academy- the one where you had to take an entrance exam and pay a costly tuition to be accepted, and made it free for anyone to join. 

The most snobbish and elitist had taken their children and ran to other exclusive prep schools and boarding schools. Her parents, however, had insisted that generations of Romanovs had been educated at St Petersburg Prep, and they would not be scared away by this inclusion of others. 

“He’s going to hear you one day and expel you,” Anya warned her, “And I cannot survive without you here.” 

While the new administration certainly welcomed more, they were also quick to kick people out for little to no reason. ‘These things are complicated, malenkaya,” her mother would tell her. 

Anastasia was always ‘malenkaya’ when it meant she should stop asking questions. 

“You have your sisters!” Katya reminded her. 

Anya gasped, looping her arm through her friends, “But they don’t cheer.” 

And, honestly, cheerleading was all Anya really had left of her old life that even remotely seemed the same. 

-

Dickie Mountbatten had been talking to Maria Romanov for approximately seventeen hours now, and showed no signs on giving up the girl’s attention any time soon. It may have been closer to fifteen minutes, but every moment spent in school felt approximately two hundred times longer. 

Dmitry Sudayev had a plan, not a very strict plan, but enough of an idea for a plan to work. He was lucky in the way that he was adaptable in his plans. He could see the next move ahead as soon as one thing shifted. However, a rather important part of the plan.

This was his fault, he had hesitated when lunch had started, and Dickie had appeared and the two had been stuck in their own world since. He could adjust. But he had to give up and move on for now, lest he linger any longer and look like some kind of weird creeper. 

He walked out the lunch room, and ran straight into a girl. Or at least, he was pretty sure it was a girl. She was about 85% made out of hair. The other 15% of her was now covered in seltzer water and scowling.

“Sorry,” he said, “I didn’t see you all the way down there.”

She tilted her face up, letting her hair fall back and he could actually see her for the first time. She grit her teeth, and spoke without moving them, “Clearly.” 

“You’re a Romanov,” he replied. She wasn’t Maria, because he knew Maria. She wasn’t Olga, because she had graduated. She wasn’t pretty enough to be Tatiana. She must be the other one. Anna? No, longer than that. Annika? “An---”

Fortunately she cut him off from getting her name completely wrong, “Oh, you’re Rugby.” 

Dmitry had never heard the sport’s name spoken with such contempt before. Except maybe earlier in the week by Principal Vaganov, but that was an entirely other story. He’s not quite sure what the sport, or he, had done to earn such disdain from the youngest Romanov sister. 

“Have we met?” Dmitry drew the words out slowly, as though he was trying to place her. “Surely I’d remember you.” 

She blew a piece of hair that had fallen in front of her eyes away, unsuccessfully, “Please, you don’t even know my name.” She waved him off, as though predicting his denial- one he wasn’t even certain he was going to make. “A Romanov! As though my sisters and I were interchangeable.” 

That seemed to be the general consensus, though everyone seemed to then pull out a specific trait to assign to each sister. Maria’s the beautiful one, they’d say. “Tatiana is the one you go to when you need something done.” “Olga is the smart one.” What did the say about the fourth? 

“Cheerleader,” he said, and it seemed a fair response as she had referred to him by the name of a sport he played earlier. 

“Boys,” she half breathed, half growled the word, before stepping around him, and going into the cafeteria. 

Dmitry watched for a moment, and saw as she displayed no hesitation before stepping in front of Dickie and pulling her older sister away. 

Bold and unafraid. That’s what they always said about the youngest sister. With a ridiculously prissy name. Anastasia. 

-

The Romanovs still held too much power in this school. Gleb Vaganov was reminded it every faculty meeting where he had see his predecessor. He liked seeing Nicholas Romanov in his demoted role, but his fist would curl up in a ball whenever he’d see the faculty sneak a peak at him once something was suggested. The only thing Nicholas was left with any sort of control over was a failing football team, a semi-successful cheerleading squad, a mediocre basketball team and a handful of other sports no one cared about. But then there were the children. Tatiana, the Senior class president, every single student flocked to her and looked up to her opinions as though she were worth a damn, and not the spoiled, overprivileged offspring from the old, outdated, elitist system. Then Maria, who had a much wider range of influence, with social media followers. A sensation, his sources told him. Thousands and thousands of children out there trying to mold themselves into a selfish, spoiled Romanov. It was disgusting. Social media was the number one destroyer of this generation. Giving them far too much influence, power and ability to earn money doing nothing. They had implemented a mandatory class to try to unteach this horrible hold the internet and the phones had over them. Everything they needed to know in life, everything they needed access to could be found here, now, at St Petersburg Prep.

And then the youngest, Anastasia. He hadn’t actually met her or heard much about her, other than people praising her skill as a cheerleader. She hadn’t done anything as of yet to catch his attention but he’s certain she’d begin abusing her privilege soon and reveal herself to be just like the other Romanovs.

Him and the school board had discussed expelling them all, but ultimately decided, that they could too easily spin themselves into the wronged party. Pick up media coverage, and twist this new school initiative into something dark and perverse, instead of the guiding light it really was. 

Gleb took a sip of his coffee, feeling far more in control than he had earlier in the morning, during their faculty meeting. 

He began his sweep through of the halls, The second bell had rung, and the halls were a peaceful quiet. Such a respectful quiet. 

But then the sound of quickened footsteps, and he found himself face to face with a young girl, her outfit askew. She was looking down, attempting to wring out her shirt. 

Gleb cleared his throat, “The bell has rung Miss-?”

Her head snapped up, her eyes widened in recognition and fear, “There was an incident at lunch- I”m--”

He held his hand up, “I can see.” She averted her eyes, “Come now, it’s no longer like before. We are understanding of our students.” He lightly pressed up on her chin with his forefinger, and removed it when she made eye contact with him. Those eyes, there was something about those eyes. “You can use the office if you need somewhere private to attend to yourself.” 

“I have to get to class,” she said, taking a cautious step backwards. 

He smiled, he liked when students were respectful and demure, “I can supply you with a hall pass- I’m sorry- what was your name?”

The girl swallowed. Once. Twice. “Anya.” 

“Anya,” he repeated, memorizing it. “Come with me.” 

“I need to get to class,” she said, breathlessly-then, apologetically. “If I miss the beginning, I just can’t keep up.”

A girl dedicated to her education here. They needed more like that. Gleb nodded in understanding, reaching into his back pocket and writing her out a slip to excuse her tardiness. “Of course.” 

Anya gripped the slip with the tip of her fingers as she took it from him. “T- thank you.” 

Then she took a step back, and another step back, and then paused when he called out, “My door is always open for a student in need.”

She nodded, before turning around to face him, giving him a wobbly smile, “Thank you.” 

Then she turned and walked briskly away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you everyone for your comments and kudos! hopefully you all keep enjoying it!

St Petersburg Prep, despite being school, used to be a safe haven for Anya. It was a convenient location for her to see all her favorite people, and for her sisters to be her friends rather than her sisters. (There was an important difference, and it was hard to be friends with a girl who snored throughout the night, and got up at least three times a night to pee or get water, or who always went at least five minutes over her shower time, or used up the hot water, or never squeezed from the right side of the toothpaste, or ate the last of the cereal and left you known, the infractions her sister could cause were endless- but friends were different. And she much preferred it when her sisters were her friends.) 

And Anya wasn’t stupid, she may not be the smart sister, but she did realize that when everything was going down with the restructuring of the school and her father going into “voluntarily semi-retirement” and taking on less responsibilities, that it was going to be a very different place.

Since there were four Romanov sisters, they were constantly compared to the March sisters. Maria was Beth, the pious, sweet one. Olga was Jo, straightforward and focused on her career goals, and constantly frustrated with the limitations placed on her because she was female. Tatiana was Meg, mothering and the oldest, despite being second born. That left Anya as Amy, the sister no one wanted to deal with and she was seen as the vain and flighty one. None of these labels quite fit them, and people were willing to throw some of the traits away to fit their needs. A lot of times they were seen more as a collective whole rather than individuals. 

Or, as the new and annoying rugby player had said it earlier, she was “a Romanov”. Not Anya or even Anastasia. Just one of many. 

She now found most of her refuge by throwing herself into practice after school. First camp, then the conference, she had missed quite a bit. Being a Romanov, her mother had once explained to her, meant she had to work extra hard so people knew she had earned her place there and not had it handed to her and coast on her contacts. 

In Anya’s experience people hadn’t really read too much into her work ethic, and didn’t think much further than she had things handed to her. 

“You’re extra sweaty today,” her younger- and only- brother, Alexei, commented as he walked over with a towel and a water bottle. 

He was only in sixth grade, but after school, he acted as the not-so-official water boy for their father’s football team. Sometimes he extended his duties to include Anya, because she was his favorite sister. (He may or may not tell all his sisters that.) 

“Thanks,” Anya sighed, pressing the towel against her face before setting it on her neck. “It’s all the rage in L.A.” 

Actually botoxing the sweat in seemed to be more the style she had observed when she had been in that city for the conference.

“Such a worldly sister I have,” Alexei rolled her eyes at her. 

Only 12 now, but he had been diagnosed with leukemia when he was a toddler, and then he had gone into remission until he was about six. He had gotten treatment again and then went back into remission until last year.

As a result, he mostly saw the insides of hospitals. Their mother now home schooled him. He kept begging to be re-enrolled back into school but their mother insisted that his immune system was still too compromised and he was too far behind to be where he should be

Their grandmother liked to claim that their mother had set her daughters free so she could keep her son glued to her chest.

Marie Feodorovna Romanov had a lot of opinions on everything that Alix Romanov did. 

She looked over to where the boys on the football team usually practiced and found that field to be empty.

Her brother followed her line of sight, “Vaganov and Lenin showed up and they’ve been in a meeting ever since. Dad sent the guys over to the weight room.” 

Anya frowned, but then quickly covered it up with a smile. Anastasia Nikolaevna did not get down for very long. It didn’t seem like a good thing when the principal and superintendent wanted to meet with you. Alexei shrugged. 

There parents liked to put on a brave face, and only give them best case scenario so it was always hard to tell when exactly it was the moment they were supposed to begin to worry. 

-

Prior to a month ago, when Dmitry was accepted in, he hadn’t been to a real school in years. If it were up to him, he still wouldn’t be. When he was eleven his father was imprisoned (wrongfully- though many still claimed that’s from a naive and fault memory of a child) and while he temporarily envisioned living the rest of his life like Barry Allen and the Flash, that came to a halt when his father died in a freak accident while in prison. There was no justice in real life. 

His father had big dreams, and when it came to his son his dreams were even bigger, casting a wider net. Dmitry- Dima, he had been back then, but it was a nickname that had been long buried along with his father, had expressed youthful exuberance at these dreams. The older he got, and the further away the memory of his father became, the less like him he had become. 

He had gone to school the first year after his father’s death, when he had made his way through three different foster families. They weren’t bad, but they weren’t good nor were they safe. No good family wanted a pre-teen boy who was the son of an arsonist. (There may have been a fire at the old factory where his father used to work. The conditions were atrocious and his father was rather vocal about that- so vocal that he was the first and only suspect they looked at. Despite the fact he had spent the entire time before and during the fire with his son.)

Then Dmitry had escaped, gone off the grid. He educated himself, because the moment the sentencing happened, his father had told him to make sure he got an education. And it was the first thing he always asked about during their phone calls after. Dmitry had promised, and it seemed easier back then. But even after death, he found he couldn’t let his father down in this one thing, when he’d be so disappointed in all the other things his Dima had become. 

Two years ago he had met up with Vlad Popov, and provided an alibi for a theft the man had most certainly done, and the two had run together ever since. (He found Vlad to be a much better crowd than the one he usually found himself surrounded by.) Dmitry was an expert these days at doctoring documents, and had created and filed the necessary paperwork so now Vlad was his illegally official foster father and got the paycheck for it. He had then, made the mistake in a very weak moment, of mentioning his promise to his father. Vlad had dismissed it at the time but then St. Petersburg Prep had opened up and then suddenly it was the most important thing they had to accomplish.

‘You could go to college, boy,’ Vlad had said, his eyes bright with the thought of the PTA meetings filled with Romanovs and their important friends. Regardless of the demotion that Nicholas had been given. His friend was a man who put a lot of importance into social rank. ‘Truly make your father proud.’

Dmitry had winced- at the manipulation and truth of it. His father’s remaining dream for him had never been so close in reach. There was still a matter of money and a reason for colleges to accept him. While he was smart, it was very much in a street sense way and not in a rigid academic way.

So rugby was all he had. It was a game he had started playing when he left his last real foster home, and a game he excelled at. St Petersburg was also the only school in the district with a team. If one could call it that. They got no funding, no attention, and no one cared.

Which is where Maria Romanov came in. She was sweet, she was well liked by the people society deemed that mattered, and she loved to help people. It was probably too much to hope that she was gullible as well, but their interactions at school the past few weeks had shown she had a little bit more of an edge than people gave her credit for. 

“Maria,” Dmitry slid into the seat next to her during study hall. It had only taken a day and a half to finally get a moment with the middle Romanov. 

She gave him a bright smile in return, “MItya- you roll the r in my name so prettily.” 

Maria was the type of person who casually started calling you a nickname that you hadn’t even given to be called. Dmitry rolled with it because it suited his current purpose to do so. 

“Don’t flatter me while I’m trying to flatter you,” he wagged his finger at her.

Maria threw her head back and laughed, “Yours is empty, Dmitry, mine is sincere.” 

“Ouch,” he mouthed, and she shook her head. “I need to use your fame in order to get the rugby team out there more.”

Normally Dmitry would do this a bit more suavely, but Maria seemed to appreciate a direct approach and it had already taken him this long to be able to even approach her. They had classes together. They had even done a project the first week of school, which is how he knew how valuable of a resource she was.

Dmitry was always good at figuring out the potential value of a person or item.

She twisted fully to address him, “I don’t have fame, and secondly, I don’t use my time or resources to sports teams.” 

“Your father is the athletic director,” he pointed out. 

“Exactly,” Maria said, saying the word slowly, “So you should be talking to him.”

He would- he’d tried, but the thing was that Nicholas Romanov was a man that only spoke in power, and Dmitry was a boy that had never actually had any. Just illusion and cleverness. 

“Maria,” he began. “Your father won’t care about anything I have to say unless we’ve got others behind us. People listen to what you say.”

She sighed, and he could feel the slack in her resolve. Maria couldn’t resist helping others. He had not known her long, but he had picked up on this immediately. “You need to speak to Anya.” 

Dmitry blinked, it wasn’t quite the response he was expecting or wanting, “Having cheerleaders at our games isn’t exactly what I meant.” 

What he needed was the attention and support to attract scouts and make people care.

“Cute,” Maria scrunched her nose up at him. “But, Anya is the one that cares the most about sports, and she’s the baby of us girls. She’s had our father wrapped around her finger since she was born. She’s your girl.” 

That would probably have been helpful before he had run into the youngest Romanov sister and caused her to spill water all over herself, even though there hadn’t really been any avoiding that. Still, he thought he’d be able to cover more ground faster with Maria, where courting Anya’s support seemed like a much longer game and the season started soon. 

Dmitry was a junior in high school and had only one marketable (and legal) skill. 

He leaned over and lowered his voice to a whisper, “I think I may have already made a bad impression already.”

“Oh Mitya,” she words came out as a sigh again, “I’ve got bad news for you.” She reached into her bag to pull out a textbook, “Olga is the sister that can’t hold a grudge. Good luck with Anastasia.” 

Dmitry had a feeling that good luck told him everything he needed to know as well as served as an understatement.


	3. Chapter Three

The only thing worse than the current school politics, or at least it was for Anya herself, were cheerleader politics. Their current captain, Paulina, was a senior, which meant the position would have to be filled next year. Anya had never wanted for something so badly in her life. For herself, at least. Okay, except for maybe that summer vacation in Paris at her Nona’s that kept being promised but never actually happened.

Prior to the administrative upheaval, Anya was embarrassed to admit she was a shoe in, ad the daughter of the principal. And while there was some cache in being the athletic director’s daughter, her father’s power within the school was rapidly dwindling. And there was a backlash against him and his administration in general. 

However, none of this should matter because, above all else, Anya had earned it. There were just a lot of people out there that refused to believe that. 

One of these people, and certainly the loudest of them, was Marfa. And Anya wasn’t certain what Marfa wanted more- to be captain or to beat Anya. 

Today at the team meeting both her and her friend, Dunya, had picked apart every single move Anya had made as a flyer. They were both bases and had never been a flyer, but of course they were experts. Marfa was fond of ‘jokingly’ saying that she literally carried the weight of the team, and then with a pointed but passing look at Anya would say, some weight more than others.

Their coach, Lily Malevsky-Malevitch had put an end to these remarks several times now, but Anya wasn’t certain if it didn’t just make things worse for her. 

It wasn’t that Anya couldn’t defend herself- she definitely could. But the older she got the more she understood her mother’s “there’s a time and place Nastasia” admonishment. There was plenty of time for vengeance, or as Anya liked to put it, harmless pranks to do during the off season. 

Marfa had no such reservations, respect or control. She also didn’t have the creativity for pranks, so instead they landed here- unfounded criticism. Today, however, she had discovered a new way to torture Anya.

“I have a proposition,” Marfa stood up and announced at the end of the meeting. 

Katya leaned in close to Anya to whisper, “I thought that was something she only said in the boy’s locker room.”

Anya bit her lip against giggling, and tried hard to focus on what Marfa was saying- even though,with her track record, she never said much that was worthwhile.

“I was thinking we should expand upon what we cheer for,” Marfa said. Katya mouthed ‘Chess club?’ to Anya. “Beyond, like, football and basketball.”

Paulina shrugged, as she was always willing to entertain Marfa’s every thought or whim, “What did you have in mind?” 

“Well, with the new boy, rugby looks like it could be the next thing.”

Their captain looked up, considering, “Dmitry?”

Okay, Anya hadn’t even been gone that long. How was it that everyone already was familiar with the new guy? When the school had gotten rid of the tuition aspect, they had a swarm of new people. A new student wasn’t that much of a phenomenon.

“We can’t,” Anya squeaked out. She wasn’t even certain if she meant to say it or even think it, but she was impulsive to a damn fault.

Paulina, Marfa,, Dunya and even Katya gave Anya a strange look. But it was Dunya who spoke, “And, why...not?”

Because Anya had no sense of the new order of things? Where her father wasn’t principal, where her family’s standing wasn’t secure? Where everything the administration was until this point was second guessed? Where new boys popped out of nowhere and rugby mattered? It sounded ridiculous, but she had an entire world before and it had been fractured.

While Anya was impulsive- she was also good at recovering. Well, usually.

“I mean,” Anya began, “Who even cheers rugby? We’re look ridiculous.” 

It was weak, as excuses went. 

Marfa rolled her eyes, well Anya wasn’t actually looking at her, but she could hear the action when she spoke, “We’d be trendsetters. The new St Petersburg Prep.” 

“True,” Paulina considered.

“We have the state spirit competition coming up,” Anya added, speaking quickly now she had found her rationalization. “We won’t have time when we’re done with basketball season.” 

“We were so close to placing first last year,” Katya added, out of loyalty. She was still looking at Anya as though she would have questions later. 

“She’s right,” Paulina sighed, relenting. “It’s too late to throw in another sport. No matter how cute Dmitry is.”

Anya tried to recall what the new boy actually looked like, but all she could remember was earth toned colored fabric and the sense of annoyance at her drink being spilled all over her. 

Honestly though, no boy could be cute as they were making Dmitry out to be. 

-

Despite only having had met her once, Dmitry immediately recognized Anastasia Romanov by the swish of her light brown ponytail before seeing the rest of her as she exited the main entrance of the school. Rugby practice was held on the field on the far side of the school, and he had to rush to make sure he caught up with the youngest Romanov sister before she left for the day.

“Anastasia,” he said, falling into step beside her. “Listen, about e-”

“It’s Anya,” she said in a tone that sounded almost automatic for her. Anya, a lot more compact and less fussy than Anastasia. It seemed to fit her better. She looked over at him and did a double take at his slightly muddy appearance. “Do I know you?”

Well at least his transgression had been forgettable. And Dmitry had made a career out of being forgettable when he needed to be. 

“I’m Dmitry,” he introduced himself. He went to go extend his hand but then thought better of it. He smiled at her instead. 

“Oh. You’re Dmitry,” She responded sounding wholly unimpressed. 

Well this was already a lot going against him in a short period of time, but hey he had faced worse in his life. 

“And you’re Anya,” he said, and smiled at her. 

She stepped around him, “This was really great, but if you’re looking for my help your friend Marfa already beat you to it and we said no.” 

Dmitry blinked, not expecting her to say that, and trying to recall who Marfa was. With the exception of the rugby team and Maria, Dickie and their friend, Rita, he couldn’t really recall anyone specifically. “Who is Marfa?” 

That made her pause, and a fleeting smile crossed her face, “You don’t know who Marfa is?” 

“...should I?” 

“No one should,” Anya mumbled, under her breath. The she looked up at him, brightened, “I still can’t help you.”

“You don’t know what I need help with,” Dmitry pointed out. He wasn’t even very certain what he was asking for but he was good at coming up with stuff on the spot. Mostly, he just needed to secure his own future. Or at least the one his father had planned for him.

She shrugged in response, “It doesn’t matter. I still don’t have the time. I have cheerleading, school, escaping subterfuge, family, friends, as well as sleeping and eating. No time for new boys who play strange sports.” 

“Forgive me for underestimating your importance then, Princess,” he said in response, bowing sarcastically to her. 

She sort of glared and made a face in response, “I’m not-. Nevermind. Good luck on your future endeavors.” 

The last part was said both primly and sarcastically, which was a commendable talent. 

Anya had already started to leave, so he called out, “Good luck to whoever is trying to subterfuge you.” 

She flipped him off in response. 

That probably could’ve gone more smoothly.


	4. Chapter 4

“There’s been news,” Anya’s father said, one night, after dinner. Alexei had grasped her hand underneath the table when Nicholas had stood up and spoke. That particular dinner had been a strangely tense affair and every could feel something in the atmosphere, even though none of the children could pinpoint exactly what the tension was. 

“News?” Tatiana was the first one to speak up. “What sort of news?”

“I’ve been let go as Athletic Director, I no longer work for St Petersburg Prep,” Nicholas announced.

Anya and Maria exchanged a look. She felt queasy and disappointed, but not wholly unsurprised. “I thought they couldn’t do that yet.” 

Their father took a breath. And then another. “They found a loophole.” 

Olga’s eyes narrowed, “What sort of loophole?”

Nicholas waved the question off, maintaining the evasiveness he had adopted ever since Principal Vaganov had taken over. “It doesn’t matter. It’s a legal one.” He stepped away from his seat, and made his way over to Alexei and Anya. He crouched down so he was eye level with Anya. “There’s more, but I am not able to say. Malenkaya, please know this does not mean I don’t trust you, or any of you but I could get in a lot of trouble if I told anyone before it’s announced.”

And with that foreboding remark, dinner had been over. 

Now, Anya found herself at school, wedged between Katya and Maria, and being shepherded into her school’s auditorium. Dickie was the first one to sit down, idly checking his phone and not bothered by this impromptu assembly. Maria sat down next to him, and then Anya, and then Katya. 

“Do you have any idea what this is about?” Anya asked Katya, who shook her head, and then she turned towards Maria. She couldn’t really explain it, she just had a building anxiety about this.

“Dad?” Maria ventured, with a shrug. 

Dickie slid his phone into his pocket, and leaned forward to address Katya, “It kills Nastya to not know anything.”

Katya laughed, and looped her arm through Anya’s, “Oh I’m well aware. It’s part of her charm.” 

Anya managed to scowl at both of them at the same time. It was another charm of hers. Maria patted her hand in response. 

“I met your Dmitry,” Anya announced, addressing Maria and trying to get the topic of conversation off of her. 

Dickie raised an eyebrow, and addressed Maria, “Is Dmitry...yours?”

“No,” Maria said, rather emphatically. Then turned to glare at her younger sister. “Did he ask you for help?”

“Marfa beat him to it,” Anya said, and then elaborated at her sister’s questioning gaze, “An attractive boy pops up and suddenly she’s Miss Teen Charitable.” 

Katya poked Anya in the arm, “So you agree that he’s attractive?” 

 

Principal Vaganov stepped up to the podium and cleared his throat, saving Anya from having to attack her friend. He said his greetings, and Anya could barely hear him over the rapid beat of her own heart. Her nerves felt ready to jump out of her skin. 

Then he said something that came through crystal clear.

“As of today, all team sports at St. Petersburg Preparatory have been canceled as part of the new culture of our school. Also, at the end of this semester we will no longer be known as St Petersburg, but rather as Leningrad.” 

Anya didn’t even think- she just jumped up and ran out of the auditorium.

-

The announcement could have gone worse, Gleb Vaganov decided upon reflection. There were some angry calls, and some threats to have their children taken out of school - no one would do that, this far into the school year, at least. He reminded them they would all have a chance to hear about the changes going onto the school directly from them at the open school board meeting that Friday. Until then, relax and believe that they were doing what was best for the children. 

There was a knock at the door, and once permission was given to enter, three girls entered. Cheerleaders. He wondered how they had gotten through his secretary. Gleb had no time to deal with angry students while placating their parents. The parents in turn could placate any upset child. 

The one in the middle stepped forward, so he addressed her. “How can I help you, Ms Spektor?” 

Marfa Spektor smiled, she was all brown curls, and her uniform was just shy of the actual dress code. “We heard you were looking for the student who ran out in the assembly.” 

Right. They had to get everyone on the same page and not encourage rebellion or dissent. “Do you have some information?” 

“It was Anastasia,” said the girl to her left- Dunya, he believed. Marfa and the girl on the right- Paulina, it must be, both turned to glare at her. Whatever power game they were trying to play, Dunya had just lost for them.

Marfa recovered quickly though, a knowing smirk returning to her lips. “Romanov.” 

Gleb’s expression betrayed nothing, but of course a Romanov would cause trouble. “Thank you ladies, that will be all.” 

“Aren’t you going to punish her?” Dunya asked. 

 

“That’s hardly any of your business,” Gleb returned. He looked up and met Marfa’s gaze dead on, “That will be all, ladies. Go, before I write you up for being late to class.” 

Dunya and Paulina huffed and stormed out. Marfa lingered for a moment, her eyes sweeping over him, before flipping her hair and leaving as well. He could deal with that potential problem later. 

He picked up his phone and instructed his secretary to call in his wayward student. 

A short time later, a little too longer time later, his secretary intercommed to say Anastasia Romanov was there per his request to speak to her. 

“Send her in,” Gleb instructed, and then stood up to look out his window. He could hear the door click open, a few footsteps, and then shut behind her. “Thank you for seeing me, Ms Romanov. It seems that you ran out before you could hear how things are to be run here now. There’s a new order, a better order. Students afforded all equal opportunities in academics, unencumbered by sports or mindless competition. If you--” He turned around and then saw a familiar face. “It’s you.” His voice softened, “The frightened student from the hallway- I had-.” He cleared his throat. “Anya.”

She had been so demure, and full of carmel tresses and big doe eyes. She was not rebelling, but most likely worried about her place in the new school.   
Anya made direct eye contact with him, but there was a slight quiver to her chin. “Principal Vaganov, I-” 

Gleb reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Sit down, please, Miss Romanov. This is just a friendly meeting.”

She appeared wary, and looked over at his hand. He applied a little more pressure, and she sat down. “I’m sorry I ran out.” 

“Change can be scary,” Gleb told her, and with his other hand he used his index finger to tip her chin up. “Especially since you’re so closely tied with the old way. But we do not hold your father’s administration against you. You have nothing to fear, Miss Romanov. We’re all friendly here, may I call you Anya?” 

He could see why she went by Anya rather than Anastasia. The ostentatious name did not fit her at all. 

Anya gulped, “Yes.” 

Gleb released her shoulder and her chin, “Don’t let this title or office intimidate you. It’s a place meant to help and not punish you. You were a cheerleader, correct?”

“Yes, sir.” 

“We’ll find a place for you within this new order,” Gleb promised. “You’ll shine brighter than before.” 

Anya hesitated before responding, then another beat, “I’m very grateful, sir.” 

He smiled at her, “Is there anything else I can help you feel more at ease about?”

She looked down at her feet, sitting in the chair they didn’t quite hit the ground. “Do I have detention?” 

Gleb blinked, “What for? You were shocked, but you were not unsupportive of this direction- were you?” 

“Of course not,” she said, looking back up at him. Mostly. Her eyes seemed more focused to the left of him than on him. 

He made a big show of letting out a breath of relief. “Then we are all friends here, Anya. Let me write you that hall pass so you can get back to class.”

She took the paper from him, “Thank you.” 

Then she turned and ran out of the room. 

-

After Anya left the principal’s office, she turned the corner of the hallway, and then stopped, leaning against the lockers and catching her breath. Very little could shake up Anastasia Niklovenia Romanov, but that encounter had. From the moment she had been called out of class and to the principal’s office, she had been convinced she would be suspended or expelled for her exit earlier. Her parents would both be disappointed if she managed to act so rashly she got expelled within ten minutes of Principal Vaganov’s announcement.

There had been something menacing about his approach, and she had been afraid to contradict him right there. For once not acting on her instinct and trying to stay patient and lay low until it was done.

But now she was free, with no foreseeable punishment, and her heart was pounding out of skin. Everything seemed to be slipping from her, and she needed to take control of something. Then she saw a flash of something familiar, and she reached out and grabbed his hand. 

“Dmitry, I need your help.”


	5. Chapter 5

Unlike his father, Dmitry Sudayev was easily bought. He was reminded of this, now, as he sat wedged in a corner booth next to Anya Romanov. Upon closer inspection, her head was about 60% hair, 30% eyes, 3% a light dusting of freckles, and 7% everything else. He’d reach over and push aside her hair if he thought he could actually see more of her face that way instead of more hair, and if he thought he could do so without her snapping his wrist. Instead, he just reached over and stole one of her fries. Time spent with Anya after she blew him off so readily the other day in exchange for a burger and a coke at a cheap diner. 

He could make out the glare of her eyes trying to laser his hand off. But she forced her lips into a smile. It looked slightly unhinged and creepy. “Dmitry, I have a proposition for you.”

He arched an eyebrow, “You know Marfa gave me one of those already.” Then, to clarify, “I didn’t accept hers either.” 

Anya let out a slow, and bracing breath. She closed her eyes and seemed to be mouthing something to herself. Dmitry stole another fry. “I would never proposition you with that.” She waved her hand as though pushing the entire topic away. “I know what you want.”

“Are you sure?” Dmitry asked, “Because this is sounding an awful lot like Marfa’s proposition.” 

She reached over and yanked her basket of fries away from him, “This is serious, Sudayev.” 

Dmitry slid down in the booth, “Apologies, your Highness, please do continue.” 

“You want to play rugby,” She said, then shook her head, “No, you need to play rugby.” Ah yes, rubbing someone’s poverty into their face was definitely the way to go. “I need to play cheerleading.” 

He eyed her curiously, “Do you combust if you don’t fling yourself off a pyramid of girls at least twice a week?”

“I regret this already,” she mumbled, but then sat up straight again. “Be serious, and listen to me.” Dmitry motioned for her to go on and she rolled her eyes. At this rate, they were never going to make it through this conversation. At least it was a free meal. “You need rugby, I need cheer. We have to figure out a way to reinstate sports.” 

“How would you propose we do that?” 

He was genuinely curious as to what she had in mind. Him and Vlad had been brainstorming it, before Vlad declared it too dangerous to his position at school. He needed a high school education more than he needed an opportunity to go to college for free. And, they needed one to try to make the other possible.

Her shoulders slumped, and she chewed on a french fry before responding. “I haven’t come up with anything yet. But I hear you’re resourceful and scheming.” 

Dmitry pulled back, slightly offended. It was true, but still. “From who?”

“Resourceful from my sister- Maria,” Anya shrugged. “The other was inferred.” 

“Your sister likes me as a person.” 

“Don’t get too flattered,” she warned him, pointing a fry at him. “Maria likes almost everyone as a person.” 

Still, he’d take his victories where he could. 

“So you want me to come with a magical plan on how to reinstate an entire sports program back into our increasingly oppressive school?” He still wasn’t certain what she expected them to do. Dmitry was good at schemes, but he didn’t think he could overturn an entire school administration. Especially when reinstating the one it replaced would only be marginally better and only for a select group of (wealthy) students. 

She nodded with more confidence than was in her voice when she spoke, “Together we can come up with something.” She twirled her fry in ketchup as she thought. She seemed like she wanted to say something but wasn’t positive she wanted to say it. “I know people have my issues with my father, but he’s a good father, and I trust him as a person. Gleb called me into his office earlier, and I don’t know, it was just a weird vibe.” She looked up at him, locking eye contact. “And it’s not because of my bias with my father.” 

He could only imagine what vibes Gleb would project upon the pretty Romanov daughter. And she was pretty, athletic, and her doe like eyes lent a sense of innocence about her that her sisters didn't carry. 

“It’s not going to be believable, if we just start to hang out suddenly,” Dmitry pointed out. Especially with their rather negative and public reactions to each other. They both shared a reputation for being up to something, as well. “We’re going to need a plausible explanation for why we’re suddenly hanging out. And keeping a secret is easier in plain sight under whatever it is the school is doing now than it is to be caught sneaking around.”

Anya eyed him suspiciously. “And why would I be hanging out with you?”

This, Dmitry didn’t take offense to, but rather laughed good naturedly. There was a bit of charm to Anya. Even if it was buried way deep down. “We’re going to have to date.” 

“What?” The first part was shrieked and the second part of the word was whispered in a hiss. “We are not going to date, Dmitry.” 

“I know, I just really wanted to get that reaction out of you,” he said, with a grin. But then, more seriously, “But we’re going to have to pretend to.” 

She frowned, obviously thinking hard about ways to work around this proposition. “Can’t I tutor you instead?”

“Is that plausible?”

“How’s your grade in English?” Anya asked, hopeful.

“With my ability to bullshit? My best and easiest grade,” he responded, and she deflated. “Think of it this way, the way this school loves gossip they will be distracted by the gossip we’re dating that they won’t possibly think of anything else we can be up to.” 

“You think rather highly of yourself.” 

“It’s actually your popularity I’m banking on,” he countered. “And from what I’ve heard you don’t date lightly. It’ll be news.” 

“Two weeks,” she spoke. “Two weeks we can date, and if we haven’t come up with a plan- a good plan by then, we can break up and live in our joyless new sports-less life.” 

“A month- you have to really give it a chance,” Dmitry haggled. “And if we do come up with a plan?”

“We’ll take it day by day then.” She offered his hand, and he reached over and shook it. 

Great, now he was dating Anastasia Romanov and wasn’t playing rugby. Nothing about this better education was working out at all like Dmitry had imagined. 

-

“Olga! Tatiana! Maria!” Anya called as soon as she walked into the front door. She had the entire trip back from the diner to her house to think up her next steps. The most important part, if she was going to commit herself to this farce,was to get her sisters to believe she liked Dmitry. After being so against it before. Maria would be thrilled, as her and Katya had teased but a few days ago about her “protesting too much”. Olga and Tatiana were far more suspicious of Anya. 

So she had to think about what she would really do if a boy she really did like asked her out. It hadn’t really occurred much before. Between her father being the school’s principal, and her time and energy focused on cheer, she hadn’t paused to let feelings in or to encourage them in others. The first thing she would do would be tell her sisters. 

Actually, she pulled out her phone real quick and sent Katya a cryptic “you were right” text to torment her friend. That’s what she would do first, then she would tell her sisters and enlist their help.

“What? You don’t need me?” Alexei asked, peeking out over the couch where he apparently had been. 

“It’s a girl thing,” she said, “but you are always invited to our talks about boys.” 

Her younger brother rolled his eyes and disappeared back into the couch. 

Olga was the first one down the stairs, “Is there a fire, Nastya?” 

Anya sighed, pressed a hand to her chest, “Only in my heart, Olishka.” 

She could hear Alexei groan from where he was on the sofa. She supposed that was a bit thick, but she did enjoy engaging in dramatics. 

Her oldest sister eyed her suspiciously, “What are you up to?”

Olga could take on an entire school administration and restructure it herself in an hour if she wanted to. She didn’t take risks like Anya did, and she supposed why their talents were split like they would. Anya would be too dangerous with the actual ability to execute her every desire. 

“I have a date,” she responded, avoiding denying or admitting that she was up to something. Olga was quite good at seeing lies. This was not a lie. A date with her new fake date still had the motions of an actual date and could be qualified as such.

“A date?” Maria squealed, arriving on the scene perfectly timed for that announcement. “With who?” 

“How quickly you fall into boys the moment cheerleading is taken away,” Tatiana remarked, arriving just after Maria.

Anya stuck her tongue out at her in response, but only verbally responded to Maria. “I don’t want to say, you’ll just tease me if I do.” 

Her two oldest sisters exchanged a confused look, but Maria gasped, “I knew it!” 

Tatiana pulled open the door to the den, just next to the staircase and herded them all in. “What does Maria know that the rest of us don’t?”

Quite a bit, if Anya had to venture a guess, but now was not the time for that kind of sisterly teasing. “Masha only thinks she knows something.” 

Maria crossed her arms, and looked a bit cocky, “Am I wrong?” 

Anya made a big show of rolling her eyes and sighing. Thank god she wasn’t actually dating Dmitry, if this were her real life it’d be unbearable. “...You’re not.” 

Maria squealed again, and hugged her. “Oh, this is so very good Anya. If it works out, the four of us can hang out.” 

“Who is Anya dating?” Olga asked, repeating Tatiana’s question from before.

Tatiana gasped, something finally clicking for her, “Is it the new boy? Dmitry?” Maria nodded in response for Anya. It was nice to have a sister unknowingly lie so you didn’t have to. “Good for you, Shvybz, he’s a cute one.” She turned to Olga, “I’ll show you him on instagram later.” 

Olga nodded while Anya braced herself for what she had come here to say and put the first part of this plan into motion. 

“I need help getting ready for tonight.”


End file.
